2005 Toyota Avalon Powertrain & Transmission Problems

After the alternator and battery dies the car went right back to accelerating by itself into traffic, I contacted Toyota and explained that after the battery and alternator died the problem came right back but they seem not to care

Please check for all recalls on my car.

ON MAY 28, 2016, ME AND MY 4 YEAR OLD TODDLER WERE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE IN OUR 2005 TOYOTA AVALON (APPROX. 142,000 MILES) WHEN IT SUDDENLY LOSS POWER. THE DASHBOARD LIT UP AND HEAVY SMOKE BEGAN POURING FROM UNDER THE HOOD ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOP THE VEHICLE WITHOUT GETTING SLAM FROM BEHIND ON THE INTERSTATE. THE VEHICLE HAD JUST BEEN SERVICED ON 05/18/2016; WITH NO ISSUE PRIOR TO TRAVELING OUT OF TOWN FOR THE HOLIDAY. AFTER A DEALER FULL DIAGNOSTIC WAS COMPLETED; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD GASKET BLEW AND THAT ALONG WITH THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS THE SECOND OPINION. THE PREVIOUS DEALER FULL DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED ON THE CAR IN 11/2015, WHEN ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND AN "SYSTEM TOO LEAN CODE" APPEARED. AT THAT TIME, THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE REMOVED AND REPLACED. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, THROTTLE BODY GASKET, PLEMUM GASKETS AND SPARK PLUGS. OTHER THAN THAT, THE CAR HAS HAVE ROUTINE SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON A REGULAR BASIS. HOW DOES A CAR WITH AN EXCELLENT SERVICE RECORD DEVELOP AN ISSUE OF THIS NATURE WITHOUT ANY ADVANCE WARNING? THERE WAS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, THE CAR WASN'T RUNNING HOT. THERE WERE NO STRANGE NOISES, THUMP, RATTLES, ETC. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BASED ON ITS RATINGS AND RELIABILITY FACTOR. --AS I STARTED TO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH, I AM SEEING THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE ALONG WITH THE TOYOTA CAMRY. WHY ISN'T THIS REPORTED AS A KNOW ISSUE WITH THIS PRODUCT. I JUST GET SICK KNOWING THERE WAS NO LIGHT SENSORS OR ANYTHING TO WARN OF AN ISSUE. WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE NOT TO GET STRUCK FROM BEHIND TRAVEL AT SUCH A HIGH RATE OF SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 121,500.

FRONT AXLE OF THE CAR BROKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND THE ENTIRE WHEEL CAME OFF WITH THE AXLE CONNECTED. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). WE OWN A 2005 TOYOTO AVALON. AFTER HAVING THE TOYOTA SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN/RECALL (SSC AOA - ACCELERATOR PEDAL REINFORCEMENT) DONE ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO MY WIFE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 5 MILES PER HOUR. SHE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BY APPLYING THE BRAKES VERY HARD. WE REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO TOYOTA. THEY GAVE US A CASE NUMBER, 1003190624, AND SAID THAT SOMEONE WOULD CONTACT US YESTERDAY TO INVESTIGATE. TOYOTA DID NOT CONTACT US ON THE DATE THEY GAVE. WE WERE AT HOME ALL DAY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS INCIDENT AND FOLLOW-UP WITH TOYOTA. [XXX] *TR

OUR 2005 TOYOTA AVALON WAS SERVICED FOR SAFETY RECALL ON 3/1/10 AND GAS PEDAL FEEL BECAME MORE SENSITIVE IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS. ON 3/2/10 WHILE DRIVING IN RAIN THE ABS SYSTEM ACTIVATED SEVERAL TIMES DURING NORMAL APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES. THIS WAS ALARMING AND VERY DISCONCERTING. SUBSEQUENT DRIVING LATER THIS WEEK DID NOT EFFECT A REPEAT OF THE ABS CONCERNS. HOWEVER, THERE IS AN OCCASIONAL SLIGHT SURGE IN SPEED WHICH SEEMS TO RELATE TO THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT POINTS WHICH DID HAPPEN BEFORE THE RECALL SERVICE. *TR

MY 2005 TOYOTA AVALON WITH THE 2GR-FE V6 ENGINE REVS HIGH, EVEN WHEN IT'S WARMED UP. IN TRAFFIC, MANY TIMES IT REVS HIGH AND LUNGES FORWARD. SEVERAL TIMES I BRAKED HARD TO AVOID READ ENDING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2005 AS I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I'VE TAKEN IT IN TO TOYOTA SERVICE AND THE MECHANICS FOUND NOTHING. ONCE I SHOWED THEM A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FROM TOYOTA WHICH STATED THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, OXYGEN SENSORS NEEDED REPLACEMENT AND THE ECM NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. IT WORKED FOR A YEAR (2007) THEN BACK TO THE SAME PROBLEM, HIGH REVVING OF THE ENGINE, HARD SHIFTING AND LUNGING FORWARD OR REVERSE. THE LATEST INCIDENT WAS TODAY, 12/7/09 WHERE I ALMOST HIT A PEDESTRIAN SINCE THE CAR REVVED HIGH AND LUNGED INTO THE CROSSWALK. I HAD TO PRESS THE BRAKES HARD TO PREVENT HITTING THE PEDESTRIAN. *TR

TRANSMISSION DELAY UPON EXHILARATION THAT PUT ME IN A POISON OF ACCIDENT, SINCE THE CAR DOESN'T REACT OR RESPOND ON TIME. *TR

NOTICING HESITATION AT LOW SPEED GEAR SHIFTING . RESULTS IN NO ACCELERATION IN SPITE OF PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR AND AFTER A LAG CAR SUDDENLY RESPONDS. HAD TROUBLE WHILE MERGING FROM THE RAMP ON TO THE HIGHWAY NOW SEVERAL TIMES, BUT NOT DAILY. CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT SPECIALLY WHILE MERGING OR DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED ME TO BUMP INTO A TRUCK RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO MY RIGHT FRONT FENDER. *NM

SINCE PURCHASING IN DEC., 2005, TRANSMISSION HESITATES WHEN PROCEEDING FROM IDLE AT SLOW SPEEDS AND SOMETIMES BETWEEN GEARS AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. HAVE NEARLY BEEN REAR-ENDED INNUMERABLE TIMES. ORIGINAL SEVERAL COMPLAINTS TO DEALER RESULTED IN INFO THAT "NO TSB HAS BEEN ISSUED TO FIX THAT". THIS LAST TIME I COMPLAINED, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NATURAL FEATURE OF DRIVE-BY-WIRE, THAT NO TSB HAD BEEN ISSUED WHICH FIXED IT, AND THAT TOYOTA WAS NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS KNOWN PROBLEM.

WE HAD HAVE OUR 2005 AVALON LIMITED FOR 2 MONTHS NOW. WHILE THIS CAR IS AN ABSOLUTE GEM, WE HAVE EXPERIENCE THE ACCELERATION HESITATION AS DID OTHER OWNERS. WE TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER, AND LUCKILY, HE WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY, HE SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING MECHANICALLY WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE ISSUE LIES IN THE COMPUTER ELECTRONICS. HE COULD CHANGE OUT THE "BRAINS" OF THE CAR, BUT IT WOULD NOT ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM. HE ADVISED US TO CALL TOYOTA'S 800-NUMBER TO FILE A REPORT IN HOPES OF RAISING TOYOTA'S AWARENESS. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. WHEN APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE GEAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE DID NOT SHIFT GEARS SMOOTHLY. THE CONSUMER SUSPECTED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE PASSED. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS COMPUTER CONTROLLED. *AK (12/01/05) *SC

2005 TOYOTA AVALON - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE I JUST PURCHASED 2005 TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED. I EXPERIENCE TERRIBLE TRANSMISSION HESITATION/SLIPPAGE. IT IS GETTING DANGEROUS WHEN I HAVE TO ENTER HIGHWAY RAMP BECAUSE OF TRANSMISSION HESITATION. WHEN I COAST AT LOW SPEED, FOR EXAMPLE, I NOTICE A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT AHEAD AND TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS, THE CAR THEN CONTINUES FORWARD AS IF IN GEAR AND AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME IT FEELS AS IF THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS TO NEUTRAL, THE RPMS DROP TO BELOW 1,000. THEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT CHANGES WHEN MY SPEED IS ABOUT 5 - 10 MPH AND I SLOWLY DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR. THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASE ABOUT 300 - 500 RPMS BUT THERE IS NO ACCELERATION. THEN THE TRANSMISSION GETS THE MESSAGE AND WE START TO ACCELERATE. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 4 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO INDEPENDENTLY CHANGE GEARS AND JERK VIOLENTLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR UNRELATED MAINTENANCE AND ADVISED THE DEALER OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE PERSISTED AND BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. HE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND SECURED AN APPOINTMENT FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND POSSIBLE REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 21,500.

SINCE PURCHASING THE AVALON IN EARLY JUNE, I HAVE BEEN FRUSTRATED WITH HOW THE CAR OPERATES BETWEEN 20 AND 40 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR DOES NOT ALWAYS KNOW WHAT GEAR IT NEEDS TO SHIFT INTO. IT WILL FREQUENTLY RACE 1000 RPM AHEAD WITHOUT ANY CHANGE IN SPEED. THEN SUDDENLY IT WILL ACCELERATE AND THE RPM'S WILL DROP BACK TO NORMAL RPM. IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN MOST OFTEN IN RUSH TRAFFIC WHEN TRYING TO CHANGE LANES. THE HESITATION IN ACCELERATION WILL CAUSE ME TO LOSE MOST OF MY MARGIN OF SAFETY IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING LANES. IN THIS REGARD, THE CAR IS NOT SAFE. THERE IS NO WAY TO PREDICT WHEN THE PROBLEM WILL OCCUR, AND THEREIN, LIES THE SAFETY HAZARD. IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE LAST EFFORT BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO UPDATE MY COMPUTER PROGRAMMING FAILED TO ACHIEVE ANY LEVEL OF IMPROVEMENT TO MY SATISFACTION WITH ONE EXCEPTION. SINCE THE FIRST COMPUTER UPGRADE, I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THE COMPLETE LOSS OF GEAR AT HIGH SPEEDS. IS THIS A PROBLEM IN ALL 2005 AVALONS? IS TOYOTA AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND DO THEY HAVE PLANS TO RESOLVE IT? SERVICED ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21. TOYOTA RESET THE COMPUTER LEARNING BACK TO FACTORY DEFAULT. TECHNICAL SUPPORT IN CA EXPLAINED THAT THERE ARE NO CURRENT PLANS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. ONCE THE LEARNING PROCESS DEVELOPS A BAD PATTERN, IT MUST BE RESET BACK TO FACTORY DEFAULT AND THE RELEARNING STARTED OVER. THE PROBLEM STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN AND THERE IS NO "UNLEARNING" THE PROBLEM. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE JERKED AND THE GEARS SHIFTED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT FURTHER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. TOYOTA OF BOWIE (16700 GOVERNOR BRIDGE RD, BOWIE, MD 20716, 301-867-1600) WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT CITED THE FUEL SYSTEM AS A POSSIBLE DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20.

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2005 TOYOTA LIMITED. THE TRANSMISSION POSES SAFETY PROBLEMS BECAUSE IT IS VERY UNEVEN AND UNPREDICTABLE, SHIFTING WHEN YOU DON'T EXPECT SHIFTING, AT LOWER AND HIGHER SPEEDS AND IN CRUISE CONTROL. (SEE THE ON-LINE DISCUSSION FORUM AT EDMUNDS WEBSITE REGARDING THIS PROBLEM WHICH MANY OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING.

I JUST PURCHASED 2005 TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED. I EXPERIENCE TERRIBLE TRANSMISSION HESITATION/SLIPPAGE. IT IS GETTING DANGEROUS WHEN I HAVE TO ENTER HIGHWAY RAMP BECAUSE OF TRANSMISSION HESITATION.WHEN I COAST AT LOW SPEED, FOR EXAMPLE, I NOTICE A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT AHEAD AND TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS, THE CAR THEN CONTINUES FORWARD AS IF IN GEAR AND AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME IT FEELS AS IF THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS TO NEUTRAL, THE RPMS DROP TO BELOW 1,000. THEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT CHANGES WHEN MY SPEED IS ABOUT 5 - 10 MPH AND I SLOWLY DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR. THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASE ABOUT 300 - 500 RPMS BUT THERE IS NO ACCELERATION. THEN THE TRANSMISSION GETS THE MESSAGE AND WE START TO ACCELERATE.

I HAVE HAD REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION IN MY TOYOTA AVALON 2005 LIMITED OVER THE PAST MONTH. I HAVE HAD THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE DIAGNOSTICS DONE. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR AND I WOULD HAVE TO "TRAIN" MY CAR COMPUTER TO DRIVE. I HAVE OVER 1500 MILES ON THE CAR AND I CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS. I DRIVE THE CAR AND MAKE STARTS AND STOPS SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT ISSUE, THEN AT THE NEXT STOP I START OUT AND THE CAR SEEMS TO SHIFT IMMEDIATELY TO A HIGHER GEAR AND I HAVE TO HIT THE BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING OTHER CARS. OTHER TIMES, I WILL PRESS THE GAS PEDAL AND HAVE NO RESPONSE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE THE CAR TAKES OFF. IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC AS I NEVER KNOW WHEN THE CAR WILL GO OR NOT GO. THERE ARE YET OTHER TIMES THAT IT WILL START OFF NORMALLY AND THEN SEEM TO GET STUCK IN WHAT SEEMS LIKE SECOND GEAR AND REV FOR SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE SHIFTING. PREVIOUSLY, I HAVE PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL AND ENDED UP LURCHING FORWARD WHEN THE SHIFT FINALLY OCCURRED. NOW I LET IT REV UNTIL IT SHIFTS ITSELF WITH NO ADDITIONAL GAS PEDAL DEPRESSION. WHILE THIS HAS STOPPED THE LURCHING, IT HAS LEFT ME VENERABLE IN THAT I CAN NOT DEPEND ON WHEN THE CAR WILL ACCELERATE SO I CAN AVOID ACCIDENTS WITH OTHER VEHICLES, PEOPLE, AND OBJECTS. THIS HAS BEEN QUITE FRUSTRATING. I CONSIDER IT A MATTER OF MY LIFE AND DEATH BECAUSE I TAKE COUMADIN AND IF I AM IN AN ACCIDENT, IT COULD AND QUITE POSSIBLE WOULD COST ME MY LIFE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE TO ENCOURAGE TOYOTA TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM.